Statement of Faith
This Statement of Faith represents our core beliefs and selected communal affirmations. It does not exhaust the extent of our beliefs. The Holy Scriptures made up of the Old and New Testaments comprise the fullest expression of our beliefs and the ultimate authority for all that we believe. As the inspired and unerring Word of God they necessarily speak with final authority whenever they make any claim about the nature of reality and the proper conduct of humanity. Particularly, it is the Holy Scriptures that reveal the “sure foundation” of the teachings of Jesus Christ and His apostles which are essential for the blessing and direction of His church until He returns (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:42 and I Corinthians 15:1-11). These teachings are essential both with respect to their content and to their function as the interpretive guide for the appropriation of all that the Scriptures teach.
We believe the Bible to be the inspired and the only infallible authoritative Word of God. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21)
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 3:16-17, John 10:30, 37-38)
We believe:
in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 10:33);
in His Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:35);
in His sinless life (Hebrews 4:15, 7:25, 9:12);
in His Miracles (John 2:11);
in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood (1 Corinthians 15:3; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 2:9);
in His bodily resurrection (John 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:4);
in His ascension to the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19); and
in His personal return in power and glory. (Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16)
We believe that man is sinful by nature and that regeneration by the Holy Ghost is essential for his salvation. (Romans 3:19, 23; John 3:16-19, 5:25; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5, 6)
We believe that the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross, provides the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, the only means to salvation is belief in Christ’s substitutional death and resurrection. (Acts 4:12, 13:38-39, I Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 4:4-4, 5:1, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 1:4-5)
The Baptism of the believers in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by the physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives utterance (Acts 2:4). The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues (I Corinthians 12:4, 10, 28) but different in purpose and use.
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-13; Galatians 3:26-28) 9. We believe in the creation of man by the direct Act of God. (Genesis 1:26-28; 5:1-2)
We believe in entire sanctification The Scriptures teach a life of Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. By the power of the Holy Ghost we are able to obey the
command, “Be ye Holy, for I am Holy”. Entire Sanctification is the will of God
for all believers and should be earnestly pursued by walking in obedience to
God’s Word (Hebrews 12:14; I Peter 1:15,16; I Thessalonians 5:23,24;
I John 2:6).We believe in the baptism of water. The ordinance of baptism by burial with Christ should be observed as commanded in the Scriptures, by all who have really repented and
in their hearts, they have truly believed in Christ as Savior and Lord. In so
doing, they have a body washed in pure water as an outward symbol of
cleansing; while their heart has already been sprinkled with the blood of
Christ as an inner cleansing; thus they declare to the world that they have died with Jesus and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of
life. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47, 48; Romans 6:4; Acts 20:21; Hebrews
10:22).We believe God’s plan for human sexuality is to be expressed only within the context of marriage, that God created man and woman as unique biological persons made to complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. For this reason, we believe that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9).